Providence: On Angels' Wings

by Lauren Wynn

  “That was crazy. The car hit you, and your wings just flew out of your back. Man alive, I almost forgot to breathe thinking about it. I was really panicked, but when I saw your wings, I was…awestruck. You know, like one of those moments when light from heaven shines down and you hear angels sing.”

  I nod.

  “You’re beautiful!”

  “Thank you.” That’s all I can think to say, feeling sad that I will soon be losing my wings.

  She stops on the corner next to her house and the street lamp shines down on us. She rises up on her tiptoes and plays with the hair that falls over my forehead.

  “Zan, I would have fallen in love with you without wings. They just led you to me. This…”—she lays her hand on my heart—“is what got me.” She bites her bottom lip and I smile. I know what that means. So I touch my lips to hers and lift her off the ground. She hugs me tight and a blaze heats up extending from her fingertips to her toes.

  The Flight

  The clock reads three in the morning. Perfect. It’s time for Providence to experience my world. I lightly skim the tip of my finger down the length of her arm and place my palm flat on her stomach, tugging her to me, filling in the gap between her back and my chest. She reaches her hand back and places it on my thigh, rolling back against me.

  “Since sleeping doesn’t seem to be on the top of your list of things to do, I thought we could go for a little ride.” I raise my eyebrows and grin.

  Her eyes pop wide open, “Seriously?”

  I nod and she jumps out of bed. “You may want to put a coat on. It’s colder up there.”

  “Coat, coat.” She rummages through her closet. “Which one?” She holds up a long puffy black one and a thinner light-blue windbreaker.

  “The windbreaker. Maybe put on a sweatshirt underneath.”

  “Oh, good. That one matches my outfit better anyways.”

  I laugh. I talked her into wearing the cloud pajamas I adore so much. So she’s right. The jacket does match. Not that it matters. It’s 3 a.m. and we’ll be flying. I slip on my windbreaker, making sure the ring is still zipped safely in the side pocket. It is. She tiptoes back in the room careful not to wake up her father.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Prov, I know we’re not walking, but you may want to put on some socks and shoes, preferably ones that tie. Don’t want them falling off mid-flight.”

  “I painted my pigs…see.” She giggles and wiggles her toes with the nails painted in a bright cherry red. “I love flip-flop season.”

  “I see…quite lovely.” Her lip curls down as she covers her pretty toes with a white sock.

  “All righty.” She laces up her gym shoes. “Good lookin’ outfit I’ve got on here. Maybe I should put on jeans.”

  “Providence, it’s 3 a.m. I’m the only one who will see you, and I think you look gorgeous.”

  We step outside into the front yard. A million stars twinkle in the cloudless sky. The moon rests low. The breeze we felt earlier has died down and the leaves that have sprouted on the trees lie silent. It’s time to make perfect the evening that was nearly ruined by a car crash.

  “Ready, my love?”

  “I am.” I think.

  “You’re ready.” I wink and scoop her up into my arms. She loops her arms strongly around my neck and swings her legs.

  “Do we need like a rope or something to tie around us, make sure I don’t fall? I feel like I should have a seat belt.”

  “Oh, I’m not gonna let you fall. Hold on tight.” She squeezes my neck so tight, I’m thankful I don’t need oxygen.

  I unfurl my wings and hover a few feet off the ground for a minute until her initial panic wears off. When she loosens her grip, I take off, heading along the parkway toward downtown. She closes her eyes so hard they begin to ache. She hides her face in the crook of my neck, so close her eyelashes graze my skin. I slow and swoop down, planting my feet on the retaining wall at the edge of the parkway. The cityscape from here is the prettiest, and I don’t want her to miss it, but since she wouldn’t open her eyes in flight, a pit stop is warranted.

  I set her down on the wall, and we both take a seat. The cool cement seeps through her thin pajama pants chilling her skin.

  “I love the view from here,” I comment, gazing across the river.

  The parkway runs along the Ohio River. Trees line the hillside leading down toward the bank. But this particular part of the parkway curves to the south providing a full view of the river and the southern towers of downtown that shine in the distance, particularly this time of year, before the leaves sprout and shape the trees.

  “I love that building.” She points to the Queen City Building with the silver tiara.

  “That’s where we’re going.”

  “To the rooftop?” Her jaw drops.

  “Yep.” She immediately stands up and raises her hands like a child waiting for her mother to pick her up.

  Cradled in my arms, she secures her grip. Her heart rate is steadier this time. I spread my wings and we make our ascent. The air is moist and a shiver runs down her spine as the wind passes over her face and neck. She curls her hands under my jacket warming them. I chuckle as she slowly opens one eye, then the other.

  “What are you laughing at?”

  “Glad you decided to check out the view.”

  “You, don’t be watching me. Keep your eyes on the … the sky.”

  “I wasn’t watching you, Prov. I can feel them, they don’t hurt anymore. You were shutting your eyes so tight they were aching.”

  “Oh, right. Well, I’m brave now,” she says confidently.

  “Is that so?” I don’t wait for a response before tugging her close and flying in waves up and down. When her stomach swirls, I level out for a short stretch before making the steep climb up the side of the forty-plus-stories, glass and metal building.

  “Look at the glass, Prov.”

  “Oh my…our reflection. Your wings! Ah! We look cute.”

  I slowly spiral around the silver tiara before slinking in between the metal beams and land on the white rooftop. I set her down on her feet.

  “That was incredible. Surreal. The view is amazing up here.”

  With my arms draped around my knees, I sit down in the center of the roof. Providence wanders to all four sides of the building, gazing at the many towers and downtown buildings to the west and north, the eastern hillside with the beautiful church, the river and the Northern Kentucky skyline to the south. She strolls back over to the eastern side and spins to the ground Indian-style.

  “This is my favorite view. I’m sure I’m a little biased since my home is that way,” she yells back to me.

  Realizing my time is closing in, I slowly rise to my feet. I’m jumpy, anxious. But first things first, I take her hand in mine and pull her to her feet. I curl my arm around her waist and dance with her. She rests her hand at the collar of my shirt and rubs her thumb on my neck. We move our feet in a small circle until I release my hand from her hip and she spirals out and back in. She holds our hands high above her head and twirls around me. We stare into each other’s eyes and continue in our small circle for several minutes. And we end with the dip. For Providence, all dances must end with a dip or else it isn’t technically over.

  I hold her snug against my chest and take a deep breath.

  “This is, by far, my favorite date ever!” she exclaims, though her voice is muffled by my jacket. Tilting her head up, she says, “Can we stay a bit longer.”

  I nod.

  “Hey handsome…” She strokes my cheek with her hand. “Why so quiet?”

  Sucking in a deep breath I gaze into her hazel eyes, focusing on the golden ring. “I never dreamed in a million years I would be standing here, holding you in my arms. Providence, I have fallen so completely in love with you. And I realize, aside from myself, I have little to offer you now, but I promise to love you for the rest of my life.” I take a step back, sliding her, and drop to one knee. My eyes never once
leave hers.

  She holds her breath and her heart flutters.

  “Providence, will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” she squeaks before exhaling. “Yes, oh, yes.”

  She lowers herself down to my level and kisses me as I reach into my pocket and pull out the white-leather box. I flip it open and present it to her. She covers her mouth and falls the rest of the way to the ground, and a tear rolls down her cheek.

  “Where did you get this?” she asks softly.

  “Your dad gave it to me.”

  “My mom’s ring…it’s beautiful.”

  I lift the ring out of its white-velvet pillow and slip it onto her left ring finger. “It fits perfectly.” She holds her hand out steadily, slowly tilting it back and forth, admiring the sparkle the diamonds create from the light in the tiara. “Oh, Zan, I love it. I love you.”

  She throws herself at me in a hug and I end up with my back flat on the rooftop, Providence lying partially on top of me, both of us laughing. I tuck her dark hair behind her ears and cup my hand along her jawbone. Her lips curl up in smile. I raise my neck and press my lips to hers. The tingle of my touch makes her lips quiver and warmth of fullness spreads through her body. She slides to my side, leaving our legs tangled. She rests her hand on my chest, looking occasionally at her ring.

  “When did you meet my dad?” she asks, tracing the outline of a heart on my chest.

  “Earlier this week, when you were at the mall with Lily and Taylor.”

  “Sneaky. What did you say to him?”

  “I told him that I loved you with all of my heart and that I promised to provide a great life for you, and I asked for his permission to marry you.”

  “And he said yes?”

  “He gave me his permission to ask you. He said the choice was yours.”

  She rolls her eyes as though she expected that response. “And then he gave you this?”

  “Yep, he said you always used to beg your mom to try it on and you told him that one day a man as great as he would give you one just like it.”

  “You are a great…man? Can I use that term? You are great. Thank you for asking him.”

  She flips the ring around her finger. “I made a minor adjustment. Can I show you?” She reluctantly slides it off her finger and I point inside the platinum band.

  “Wings, you had them etch wings into the band.”

  “I will always be your angel. I will always protect you, comfort you, encourage you, and keep you safe.”

  “You’re going to be a fantastic husband.” Husband. She giggles.

  “And you will be a wonderful wife.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Lily and Taylor, and my dad. Eek! I’m so excited.”

  “Still your favorite date?”

  “Oh yeah.” She rolls back on top of me and kisses my cheeks, nose, and mouth.

  We both lie on our backs. She rests her head on my arm, and we stare up through the metal beams of the tiara past the lights that engulf the metal crown, and watch the dim twinkle of the stars. Providence dozes off for a little while until the sky begins to lighten in the east and I wake her. I unfurl my wings and cradle her against my chest, easing my way up through the metal crown. Her tired body relaxes in my arms, and she hides her face in my neck. I fly straight toward her house, minimizing my normal theatrics. The air surrounds my face as I lift my chin up. I inhale filling my nose with the essence of Providence’s strawberry shampoo. This will be one of my last flights, if not my last. I slow gradually, absorbing every second of this experience.

  “You can take the long way home,” she whispers in my ear.

  There is no long way home when you’re flying, but she knows I’m not ready for it to end yet.

  The Dinner

  Another week whizzes by. Between my callers, working, Providence, studying, and planning for a human life, I’m constantly on the go. I seriously wonder what exactly kept me busy in my first months here. I really don’t remember being bored. Now, I am anything but. Thank goodness I don’t need to sleep because I don’t have time to.

  I have had my usual steady stream of callers, some repeat, others new ones. I used to randomly check in on Summer, but I haven’t done that for a couple weeks now. I’m starting to miss my little, blond-haired Summer. Last time I saw her, her hair was growing back in, although much curlier than before, and she was learning lines for a part in a school play, a significant improvement from the tired and weak cancer patient I first met.

  Avery, well, Avery is one of my repeat callers. She does great during the day. She’s getting good grades and is one of the best volleyball players on her team. She and Asher are officially boyfriend and girlfriend and he asked her to the prom, more than a month in advance. Avery took that as a sign of commitment. I just nodded and agreed with her. The few times I have met him, there has definitely been a look of love in his eyes, although he hasn’t confessed that yet. Avery’s nights, on the other hand, are rough. Terrible nightmares wake her up, screaming and sweating. She has gotten much better at calling for me as soon as she wakes. Most of the time, when I arrive, she is still gasping for air and disoriented. Sometimes it takes nearly an hour to soothe her enough so she can fall back asleep. The dreams seem to stem from the loss of her father, although he never appears in them.

  In her nightmares, a faceless man chases her through dark woods or a dark alley. She runs but it’s always in slow motion, never gaining momentum, and she always wakes up just as the faceless man tugs on the back of the olive-green jacket she wears, a jacket that she does not personally own.

  Sometimes, I hold her like a child, and she cries herself back to sleep. Other times we sit and talk until she forgets what woke her up in the first place. That’s when I get the latest Asher scoop, as she likes to call it. She beams, talking about him. It helps her forget her dreams quickly.

  The marketing guy still calls, although infrequently. He typically limits his calls to times when he needs something. He doesn’t know I’m his angel, but we have exchanged head nods in the elevator since our offices are in the same building. He nailed the sales pitch he was struggling with the first time he called me. I gave myself a little pat on the back for my small role in his success.

  The office has been hectic. Luke has been swamped with cases and meetings with a big, new corporate client. So, when I’m not out gathering data for other cases, he has me writing legal agreements. It’s good practice for me. The first couple he reviewed before sending out to clients, but that didn’t last long. I’m fairly certain it’s because he never needed to make any changes to the ones I wrote, but there’s a chance he just doesn’t have time. When I see him in the halls or the elevator, he quizzes me on frequently asked exam questions, twelve for twelve so far. Earlier this week, however, he sat me down for a little talk. Apparently Lacey, his assistant, has been questioning how I always seem to get to my office without her seeing me since the only way to my oversized quarters passes her desk. So, following Luke’s strong encouragement, I used my first paycheck to invest in a car that I am now required to drive to the office. I’m allowed to jog on occasion, but I must use the front door, no more angel transport.

  Providence helped me pick out the car, of course. I am now the owner of a brand, spankin’-new, four-door, black, Lexus sedan with dark tinted windows and limited accessories. It feels a little too showy for me. I tried to get Providence to trade me for her little silver Civic, but she said no reputable attorney could be taken seriously in her crappy, eight-year-old Civic. It wasn’t a bad point, so then I suggested purchasing a used Lexus. She gave me some drawn-out speech about the importance of your first car being a new car, blah, blah, blah. She rambled on for a good twenty minutes, wore me down. I’m pretty sure she was just setting me up for when it’s her turn to get a new car, which, of course, she will because I won’t be able to tell her no. Anyway, I finally agreed to the new Lexus, but I refused all of the add-ons she tried to talk me into, including the overpowered speakers. Although, I will
admit, I almost caved on those. When her bottom lip curled out in a pout and her eyes sagged at the corners, I almost couldn’t bear to tell her no. But I came to my senses. Instead, I tickled her until that frowny face was replaced by a smile, allowing me the ability to refuse.

  Aside from the car, Providence’s week has been action-packed. This week marks the first of a couple of two-week courses she is taking at Xavier. In the morning she has math and in the afternoon she has history. So, she spends all day in her classes and then works until nine. When she finally gets to come home, she studies and sleeps. But it works out. I study beside her. However, sometimes it back fires on us. Providence will get that wild look in her eye, slowly scoot closer to me, bite on the end of her pencil, and before I know it, I’m flat on my back with a giggling Providence lying on top of me. It’s a nice comedic break, for both of us. I entice her back to her studies by bribing her with fruit snacks. Works every time. And when her eyes get heavy and her yawns come frequently, I take a break from my studies to rub her back until she falls asleep.

  This morning, Saturday, a day without work or school, she slept until noon. When she finally woke up, we went for bagels—well, she went for a bagel, and I went as her much-needed moral support. She spent the first half of the bagel cursing algebra and explaining to me how horrible her grades were in high school and how she quite honestly didn’t need a reminder of how stupid she is when it comes to math. The second half of her bagel was spent cursing history and the fact that she can’t fathom how on earth she is supposed to learn centuries of stuff in two weeks. By the time she pops open the bag of baked chips, I stand behind her, running my fingers through her hair, which both relaxes her and allows me the chance to settle her uncombed bed-head hair as well as remove the piece of cheese that flew into it during her rant about algebra. Given her elevated stress level and lingering exhaustion, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. But when she broke the oatmeal raisin cookie into quarters, she sighed in relief, having vented a week’s worth of bottled-up complaints, and she thanked me for listening. With that off her chest, she nibbled on the cookie’s outer edges and a bright smile rose on her face as her eye caught the sparkles cast out of her diamond ring by the light shining in the shop window. I returned the smile, and my teal-green eyes became the only thing that registered in her mind.